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CATHOLICOS OF ALL ARMENIANS AND SPIRITUAL LEADER OF AZERBAIJAN TO MEET IN MOSCOW IN MID-FEB
FEBRUARY 1. Catholicos of All Armenians, His
Holiness Garegin II is to meet with Head of the Religious Department
of Caucasian Muslims sheik-ul-islam Hajji Allahshukur Pashazadeh in
Moscow in mid-Feb through the mediation of Patriarch of Moscow and
All Russia Alexiy II, ARMINFO learned from the press service of the
Holy See of Echmiadzin.
The sides are to discuss prospects of the Karabakh conflict
settlement, exchange of POWs and other issues.
It should be noted that the USA intends to render $50 mln free
assistance to Azerbaijan, while aid to Armenia will make $90 mln,
plus additional $4.3 mln for development of military sphere.
KARABAKH'S AUTHORITIES CONCERNED ABOUT VAGRANCY IN THAT COUNTRY
FEBRUARY 1. Karabakh's authorities are
concerned about vagrancy in that country. Karabakh's Prime Minister
Anoushavan Danielyan has drawn the attention of the ministers of
internal affairs, social security and health care to this problem and
heard their opinions.
It was noted that vagrancy is typical of borderline districts, where
many socially disadvantaged families live in temporary houses.
Danielyan instructed the ministers to settle this problem and noted
that boarding schools should be opened in the republic to provide
poor children with training. Such a school is planned to be opened
in Sushi soon to train nearly 250 children.
WHITE HOUSE INTENDS TO STEP UP PROCESS OF RECONCILIATION BETWEEN
ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN
FEBRUARY 1. The George Bush Administration is
going to step up the process of reconciliation between Armenia and
Azerbaijan, Pres.Bush's representative said recently commenting on
the president's decree to waive Section 907, prohibiting the U.S. to
provide Azerbaijan with direct assistance.
He said the waiver has been an important step in the U.S.-Armenian
and U.S.-Azeri relations and is sure to usher in a new phase in the
U.S.'s cooperation with these countries. Washington is going to take
active steps to settle the Karabakh conflict as soon as possible, the
representative said.
Moreover, the waiver will promote the cooperation between these
countries towards fighting international terrorism and will allow
them to prevent terrorists from infiltrating into the South Caucasian
region.
PRESIDENT APPOINTS ARMENIA'S PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE TO GENEVA
FEBRUARY 1. Armenian President Robert Kocharian
signed a decree February 1 appointing Zohrab Mantsakanian
Armenia's permanent representative to the UN and other international
organizations in Gevena.
According to the information reported to ARMINFO by the presidential
press service, Zohrab Mnatsakanian was born in Yerevan in 1966.
After graduating from the Department of International Economic
Relations of Moscow University of International Relations in 1989, he
gained practical experience at the USSR Embassy in Washington. Since
1991 he has worked in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia.
Since 1999 he has been head of the Presidential Department for
Foreign Relations Management. In 2000, the diplomatic rank of
Minister Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary was conferred on Zohrab
Mnatsakanian.
"REEMSTMA" COMPANY TO BE SOLD
FEBRUARY 1. The German "Reemstma" tobacco company,
which lodged a claim against the Armenian producer of elite
cigarettes, the "Cigaronne" company, will be sold to the British
"Imperial Tobacco" company for 5.2bln USD (6bln. euro), reports the
German "Die Welt" newspaper, pointing out that "Reemstma", which owes
the trademarks "Davidoff", "West" and "R1", is the fourth largest
tobacco producing company in the world.
At the same time, according to the information reported to ARMINFO,
by the "Cigaronne" company, the final decision on the "Reemstma"
company's claim against the "Cigaronne" company, which is accused of
illegally using the design of the "Davidoff" boxes, will be made by
the Amsterdam court on February 8, and there is no use commenting on
the matter.
We would remind you that "Reemstma" believes that it is only the
"Davidoff" trademark that has the exclusive right to use octahedral
boxes. Besides, "Cigaronne" is accused of using colors similar to
those of "Davidoff" boxes. Director General of the "Cigaronne"
company Karen Adonts pointed out that "Reemstma" aims at ousting
"Cigaronne"'s products from the markets of Benelux.
NUMBER OF ARMENIAN WOMEN PROSTITUTING IN TURKEY AND UAE REMAINS HIGH
FEBRUARY 1.The number of Armenian women yearly leaving for Turkey and United Arab Emirates (UAE) to prostitute there remains quite high, but it is after all lower than that of Kyrghyzian and Tajik women leaving for the aforementioned countries to engage in prostitution, Head of the Armenia-based office of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Nilim Barua told ARMINFO. We would remind you that according to the IOM's data on last summer, about 500 Armenian women yearly leave for Turkey and the UAE to prostitute, and each Yerevan-Dubai flight brings back to Armenia at least two Armenian prostitutes, who are deported from the UAE by the local law-enforcement agencies. At the same time, Barua stressed that similar survey was not conducted in the countries bordering on Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. But the data on Kyrghyzstan and Tajikistan testify that many more women leave those countries for Turkey and the UAE to prostitute there. "Unfortunately, I do not yet see any preconditions for this figures to go down in Armenia or Kyrghyzstan," Barua said. EXHIBITION OF IRANIAN ART OPENED IN YEREVAN FEBRUARY 1. The consolidation of Armenian-Iranian cultural relations are the best example of cultural cooperation in the region. Iran's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Armenia Muhammad Farkhad Koleini stated during the opening of the exposition of Iranian art National Gallery of Armenia, devoted to the 23th anniversary of Iranian revolution. To hold an annual exhibition on Feb 1, becomes a good tradition, Koleini mentioned. It acquaints the Armenian spectator with the national art of Iran. As the ambassador mentioned, the fact that the exposition is carried out on the eve of the anniversary of the cultural revolution of Iran, attaches special significance to the exposition. The Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II visited the exposition and blessed it. He welcomed the cultural cooperation and the consolidation of centuries-old relations of two countries. The minister of Culture of Armenia Roland Sharoyan also took part in the opening ceremony of the exhibition. Works of two Iranian artists were displayed in the exposition, organized by the cultural center of Iran's Embassy in Armenia. HEARING OF POGHOS POGHOSSIAN'S MURDER CASE ADJOURNED
FEBRUARY 1. The court hearing of the case of murder
of the Georgian citizen Poghos Poghossian at the Yerevan "Aragast"
cafe on the night of September 25 has been adjourned until February
18.
The court satisfied the petition of Poghos Poghossian's legal
successor Andranik Poghossian and his lawyer Ruben Sahakian for
finding Stephan Newton, who was recently seen in Armenia.
It is to be noted that according to the materials of the case Stephan
Newton was at the restroom of the "Aragast" cafe during the incident.
But the preliminary investigation body did not take measures to find
Stephan Newton. The Embassy of Great Britain, whose citizen Stephan
Newton is, refused to provide any information about him.
INTERROGATION OF EDUARD GRIGORYAN, DEFENDANT ON TERRORIST ACT IN
ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT CONTINUES
FEBRUARY 1. The interrogation of Eduard Grigoryan, the defendant on the case of a terrorist act in the Armenian Parliament Oct, 1999, still continues at the trial. Today the defendant was interrogated by the representative of legal successor of the killed parliamentary vice-speaker Ruben Miroyan, lawyer Aram Karakhanyan. His questions were not new for the defendant, who kept repeating that he had answered them before. Besides, Grigoryan was also interrogated by the widow of the killed vice-speaker Yuri Bakhshyan Anahit Bakhshyan. She conveyed the defendant the words of his further, who said that "if he meets his son, he will kill him." In the meantime, Anahit Bakhshyan expressed confidence that Grigoryan not only accomplice to a crime, but also a supporter of Nairi Hunanyan, the head of the terrorist group, so he committed the crime consciously. At the same time, the widow said Grigoryan took part in buying weapons and entered the parliament armed. The representative of the killed premier Vazgen Manukyan's family, Russian lawyer Oleg Yunoshev also interrogated the defendant.
OSCE CHAIRMAN-IN-OFFICE TO VISIT KARABAKH CONFLICT REGION IN MAR
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